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Reports Violations of the Animal Welfare Act at the University of Pennsylvania USDA inspection reports for the University of Pennsylvania (UPA) for
the period 3/14/05 � 11/18/05 reveal an excessively high number of
violations/non-compliances with regard to the Animal Welfare Act (AWA).
In fact, as compared to over 250 laboratories for the same period, UPA
has the highest total of violations of this federal law of any lab in
the nation. These violations are primarily in three categories veterinary care,
housing/facilities/sanitation and institutional animal care and use
committee. Other areas include unqualified personnel and inadequate
environmental enhancement for primates. Inadequate veterinary care can include many things from the use of
inappropriate or expired drugs to downright veterinary negligence. While
several issues exist regarding pharmaceuticals (expired drugs, use of
non-pharmaceutical chemicals as drugs, etc.) one example will suffice to
illustrate the severity of violations in this area. The records for
sheep #534 indicate that this animals� suffered from fever, inappetence,
abdominal bloat, and decreased fecal output on the 3rd/4th days
following surgery. Veterinary staff was not notified, and on the 5th day
following surgery this sheep was found dead. While it is impossible to
know if this sheep could have been saved if veterinary care had been
provided, the fact that no one was even notified of the need for care is
a clear case of negligence. Veterinary records for several other sheep
indicate that pain relieving medications were not administered properly,
likely causing them to experience pain unnecessarily. Other issues
involving inadequate veterinary care include (in the 11/18/05 report)
more incidents of improperly administered pain relievers,
non-pharmaceutical chemicals used as drugs, a pig with an untreated skin
lesion, and a piglet with an abdominal hernia. The Institutional Animal Care & Use Committee (IACUC) is the body
within the UPA charged with approving research protocols and enforcing
the AWA on the institutional level. It is clear that this body is not
performing this function in an effective manner. Research protocols do
not include any evidence of searches for alternatives to painful
procedures (as required by the AWA), other protocols are not even being
reviewed on a regular basis, and paralytic drugs have been used without
anesthesia. Two examples will suffice to illustrate the severity of
these issues. One protocol which involves alpha-mannosidosis in kittens
is discussed in the USDA report for 11/18/05. This disease can have
neurological, muscular, and skeletal consequences potentially leading to
death. Appropriate methods of euthanasia for these suffering animals are
not even discussed. Yet another protocol involves discusses depriving
cats and ferrets of sleep for up to 10 hours at a time, without
addressing the potential for distress in these animals. The violations at UPA are serious in nature due to their potential to
compromise human safety through invalidation of research protocols as
well as the obvious implications of improper care for the animals. Many
of these issues show up as repeat violations (10) and therefore
illustrate the callous and indifferent attitude of UPA staff to both
scientific method and animal care regulations. The research protocols at the University of Pennsylvania which have
repeatedly broken federal regulations should be immediately terminated,
and the staff responsible for these violations should be permanently
barred from all contact with animals at the UPA facilities. See the reports:
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